Crash
by Wei Tzu
Summary: Everybody grows up sometime. Every now and then, we all get a hard slap in the face from reality, too. A Black 2 storylocke


**A/N: Welcome to my written Nuzlocke of Pokèmon: Black 2 Version. Hopefully, the story does not disappoint.  
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Crash

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It was a beautiful spring morning. A bit bright out for my tastes, but still early enough in the season for there to be a pleasant chill in the air. I was going through a bag I found at the foot of my bed when I woke up when I heard the front door of the house open. "Honey, are you awake yet?" came my mother's greeting. Considering how often I tended to sleep in when I could, it was a perfectly valid question.

"I'm up, Mom! This a trainer's satchel I found by my bed?" There was room for everything I associated with the idea of being a pokèmon trainer in there. Slots for healing agents, spare pokèball compartments, disk slots, sealed pouches for small fruits, and two more compartments for other miscellaneous items. I'm pretty sure it was actually bigger on the inside than the outside, somehow...

"Oh, you picked that up quick! I actually got a call from my friend, Aurea, while I was at work last night."

"The biologist, right?" The only Aurea I knew of was Dr. Juniper, the foremost authority on the country's native wildlife.

"The very same. It's been a while since I've heard from her, but she wants to know if you'd like to help out with her research."

I didn't hesitate in the slightest. "Of course! I'd be glad to help Miss Juniper." I remember that she'd watch me occasionally when I was a little kid, and if I was good, she'd let me play with her minccino.

"That's great! I got another call from Aurea just before I came in, and her assistant, Bianca, is already here in Aspertia. You'll be getting your starter and a 'dex, too."

"Nice!" I then mentally stumbled, trying to remember if my mother had said anything about where I would be meeting Bianca. "Where is Bianca, actually? Is she gonna be coming here, or...?" I was fairly certain Bianca wasn't coming here, but I don't like to assume.

"Oh, I never did tell you that. She's never been in the area before, so I'm pretty sure she'll be somewhere easily noticeable. Maybe the outlook?" I had to agree with that. Anyone could find the outlook, as it was our most famous spot in the city. It was also the highest point. "She'll be wearing a big green hat, so she should be easy to pick out of a crowd."

Considering I'd never seen anyone wear a big green hat in the area, I'm pretty sure that just cemented Bianca's status as unmistakable. "Thanks for the hint, Mom," I said, before walking out the door.

I was barely turning past the corner on the sidewalk before I saw my friend, Locke, and his sister, Celeste, walking my way. "Hey!" Locke called out to me. "You get your pokèmon yet? I'm getting bored of just facing off against wild ones past the gate."

"I'm on my way to get one now. Someone named Bianca was sent by Dr. Juniper to give one to me," I responded. "And you know that there's a gym opening up behind the school, right?"

"Yeah, but those are gym trainers. I've just made it to the point where I can barely sweep away the wild ones with Gan." Gan was his tepig that he'd raised from an egg for the past three years. "And are you serious?" he asked, returning to the original statement I made. "Dr. Juniper picked you to get a pokèmon?"

"Apparently. I think it has to do with old ties with my mom, though."

"That's not the point. Look at recent history for training around the world! Nine years ago in Kanto, Red was picked by Dr. Oak, and became the Champion, beating out his rival for the spot, and dismantling Rocket along the way. About the same time in Hoenn, May was picked by Dr. Birch, and she made Champion while resolving a crisis caused by a couple of eco-nuts. Three years later, Ethan comes out of nowhere in Johto after running an errand for Dr. Elm, cleans up what's left of Rocket in the process, and some say he even beat Red. And in Sinnoh, Lucas, chosen by Dr. Rowan, managed to beat out Cynthia after managing to stop a crazy nihilist from wiping the world from existence. And just two years ago, Hil managed to get through the Elite Four twice, with the second time being after basically dismantling Plasma! And Hil was picked by Dr. Juniper," Locke finally concluded his (admittedly brief) synopsis of recent world history. After he finished all that, I realized he was right. Judging by all these past trainers rising prodigiously to the top, it couldn't just be a coincidence. There had to be something to this.

Before I could get a word in, though, Celeste raised her hand to get attention before speaking up. "Please make sure you take really good care of your pokèmon." That gave us all a harsh reminder that her purrloin had been stolen by some Plasma thugs five years ago. Locke looked particularly bothered by this. I'm pretty sure he was still holding a grudge over it.

He recovered pretty quickly, though, and resumed his upbeat manner upon hearing that I'd be getting a pokèmon soon. "Hey, let's go get your pokèmon. I've been meaning to do something for a while, and I need a buddy to help me out with it. Besides Gan, of course," he said, and I pulled a disgruntled face at his words. "I mean you! Who else would I be talking about? You're a smart guy, and you think pretty quick on your feet." I smiled modestly while he turned to face his little sister. "Head on home, Celeste. I'll be back later."

"See you later, big brother," she said to him before turning to look at me. "Bye," she said, looking a little shy before turning around and heading back up the street to her home. The little girl was adorable, really, but I think Locke had been sheltering her too much ever since her purrloin was stolen.

"Come on, let's go find Bianca so you can get your pokèmon!" he said, as he moved to walk by my side. "Any idea where she is? What does she look like?"

"I know she wears a big green hat, and I've got a few ideas in mind. Come on, let me know what you think of them as we go by," I answered while walking up the street.

When he noticed the new training school was directly ahead, he dismissed it quickly. "It's not even open yet, and we're looking for the kind of person who wears a big green hat. Speaking of, where-"

"Probably from some mall in Castelia," I interrupted. "Always a better question to ask what they don't have, when it comes to that city."

"Fair point." He nodded in agreement. As we neared the local 'center, he once again pointed out that the woman we were looking for wears a big green hat. I then let him know that the outlook was the last idea I had in mind, considering it was a must see spot for anyone. He agreed, and waited at the last landing when we made it up there.

I walked up to the outlook proper, and sure enough, a woman wearing a big green hat was leaning on the railing, looking out at the scenery. I made my way to the railing a few paces away, and looked out as well. "Such a beautiful view," she said, noticing I had walked up. "Don't you agree?" she asked me.

"I prefer winter, myself, but yes, it is a lovely sight," I answered.

"Oh! I haven't introduced myself," she said, obviously not recognizing me. "I'm Bianca, one of Dr. Juniper's assistants. I'm actually here to look for someone."

"So you're the Bianca I was told would be looking for me. A pleasure to meet you," I greeted.

"Wow. You're just like Dr. Juniper said you'd be. I've got a big favor to ask of you." I nodded, prompting her to continue, "Would you help us fill out the new 'dex? The wildlife throughout the country's changed so much these past couple years that the old one's obsolete."

"Of course I'll help out. It'll be a nice way to repay Miss Juniper for all the trouble I caused her when I was little," I said, with a small laugh.

She paused in rummaging through her bag briefly to look at me with astonishment. "Wow! You knew Dr. Juniper when you were just a little kid?"

"Yeah. She and my mom are good friends."

"That's so cool!" Bianca exclaimed, before finally pulling out what she'd been searching for. "All right! In here we have the pokèmon that's gonna be your starter and partner!" She held out a blue cylinder, and moved her finger to press a button that retracted a section of it, unveiling three pokèballs lined up. "On your left we have snivy, in the middle is tepig, and on your right is oshawott."

I knew all about the type advantages and weaknesses, but, wanting a challenge, I decided on snivy. After pulling out the pokèball, Bianca hit the button again, and stored the cylinder in her bag once more. "Why don't you give him a name?" she asked. "It's better than just calling him 'Snivy' all the time, and I'm sure you'll grow much closer if you do, too."

I took a moment to think about what I knew about the serperior line, and my mind then wandered to a show I enjoy. One of the characters was absurdly fast, and much like my new little serpent, overall gentle to those around him, despite the fact that calamity tended to follow him wherever he went. "I'll call you Vash," I said to the little grass snake coiled up on my shoulders.

"You watch that show, too?" Bianca asked, obviously catching my reference. "That's a great name for the little guy," she said, beaming intensely. "Oh, and now, here's your 'dex! Make sure to meet every pokèmon you can!"

I gratefully took the electronic encyclopedia, and made my way from the outlook.

"How much longer are you gonna take?" Locke asked, as he came up. He then noticed the green little serpent coiled on my shoulders. "So that's your partner, huh? Make sure you take care of him," he said, echoing his sister. The 'dex in my hand didn't escape his notice, either. "You got a 'dex, too? Awesome!" He turned to Bianca, who was just starting to walk by us, and asked, "Any chance you have a spare that I could have?"

"Um..." Bianca faltered, surprised by the sudden question. "I'm sorry, but who are you?"

Locke took this in stride, and launched into introducing himself enthusiastically. "I'm Locke, and I'm gonna travel the country with my partners. I have to look for something really important, too." I knew he was talking about his sister's purrloin.

"Well, I really only came here to give out one pokèmon and 'dex, but I suppose you can have mine. I can get another from the lab, and I'm sure Dr. Juniper will be glad to have extra help with filling it up."

"Thank you," Locke said as Bianca handed him her 'dex. "Really, thank you so much." Before I could make it down one step, he turned to me, and challenged, "Come on, let's see how you fare against Gan!"

I turned my head to look at Vash, and asked, "You ready for this, buddy?" He nodded slightly, showing his displeasure in his facial expression as he slithered his way off my shoulder. "You can do this, Vash," I said to him, just before Locke and I walked to opposite ends of the outlook, with Bianca taking a seat on the bench up against the railing.

"Come on out, Gan! Let's go!" Locke called, as he released the tepig from his ball.

Vash had stayed near me as I walked to my end, and I heard him hiss in displeasure as he gave me a look that he wished could have turned me to stone. "Don't worry," I quietly said to him, crouching down to look him closer in the eye. "Gan still doesn't know any fire attacks." I stood back up fully, and raised my voice slightly above my normal volume as I called out, "Tackle him, Vash. Don't let him get the advantage!"

The little serpent darted across to the piglet before leaping out to coil around him. The next few minutes were a struggle between the two trying to assert dominance. I could see Vash noticeably tiring, and even breathing more heavily. Finally, Gan collapsed, having no energy left to keep fighting, and Vash slowly slithered back to my side, collapsing in front of me. "I'm proud of you, buddy," I said as I lifted him up. I settled him on my shoulders before continuing, "You did a great job."

Bianca looked to be in awe at the vigor our pokèmon exhibited during the fight, but her past experience as a trainer pushed through enough to get Locke and I focused on getting our partners back in top shape. Namely by way of the pokèmon center at the base of the hill.

Locke took off immediately after Gan was given back to him, but I waited for a few moments to see if Bianca had any advice for me. After getting Vash back and settling him around my shoulders, I received a brief questionnaire about everything in the center, and was given ten pokèballs afterwards. "Thanks, Bianca," I said, as I stored them in my satchel.

"You're very welcome. I hope I don't have to show you how to use them..." she mockingly questioned, sounding playful at the same time.

"I don't know," I said, feigning uncertainty. "I've never-" At this point, I couldn't hold up the facade any longer, and started laughing. "I know how to use a pokèball. Don't worry."

"OK, then! Let's get going so you can take your first step on your journey!"

We stepped out of the center to be met by Celeste and my mother walking towards us from the training school. My mother had a box tucked under her left arm. "There you are!" she called. "I imagine Locke's already taken off?" I nodded in response. "Oh. Well, Celeste was nice enough to get some maps for you and Locke, would you be able to deliver his when you catch him?"

"Of course. That's assuming he hasn't already gotten himself hopelessly lost, though," I joked. Locke's sense of direction was nearly infallible.

My mom laughed at the quip, and Celeste came over to me with the maps. I took one and stowed it away in my satchel, and kept the other in my left hand. "Thanks, Celeste," I said, smiling at the little girl. Vash flicked his tongue out not recognizing her, and lazily settled once more.

She nodded, whispering, "You're welcome," so quietly I almost missed it.

"I have one more thing for you, before you go, dear," my mother told me, moving the box from under her arm. "I know they won't be the most practical in mountains or bogs, but I got you a pair of running shoes, so hopefully you don't get any shin splints or wear out your knees too quick." They were designed with a minimalist approach in mind, almost forcing the wearer to adopt proper running form.

"Thanks, Mom," I said, tying the shoes to my bag.

She suddenly moved to grip me in a tight hug, and I noticed she was crying a little. Vash hissed slightly at being disturbed, but quickly settled again upon realizing there was no threat. "You be careful out there, honey. And don't forget to call and visit every now and then."

I returned her hug, and promised her that I'd at least call each time something big happened.

"Go have fun, dear. Good luck on your journey," she said as she pulled away, wiping her eyes as she stepped back.

"Thanks, Mom. I will." I felt tears brimming in my eyes as I stepped back. I noticed Bianca smiling at my farewell with my mother, and I'm pretty sure she was holding herself back from gushing about it.

Bianca and I started walking north to the gate leading out of the city, and I turned back to wave goodbye to my mother and Celeste. They waved back, my mom smiling through all the tears in her eyes.

Out on Route 19, Bianca told me what pokèmon to expect here, and then headed back into Aspertia. With Vash settled around my shoulders, I moved east to Floccessy.

A couple hours later, just as the cliffs bordering the towns western limits came into view, a patrat scurried out in front of me. Vash immediately hissed at it, not recognizing its scent at all, and slithered down to the ground, ready to defend me from it. "We're going to catch this one, buddy. Ready for this?"

He turned to me briefly before lunging out and bowling over the small rodent. It recovered and took chase, catching up to him and knocking him back a little, but Vash retaliated once more, and then withdrew near me as the rodent gave him a vicious glare. Fishing a pokèball out of my bag, I threw it before the patrat could strike again, and it was swiftly drawn within. The pokèball shook violently for a few moments before it settled, the red light in the button going dim.

Vash slithered back up to rest on my shoulders, and I went to claim my catch. I clipped the now filled ball to my belt next to Vash's. "Sentry," I said, as I heard the ball click into place. "I'll call you Sentry."

"You there, Trainer!" I heard from above. Looking up the cliff face, I first noticed bright, blaze orange hair. Next was that the man had just jumped from the top of the cliff! I could only stand frozen in shock, until he slowed before reaching the ground, touching down lightly. "That was your first catch, right?" he asked, and I silently nodded in response, Vash while Vash hissed from his perch on my shoulders. "Well done," he congratulated, before looking more closely at Vash. "Your snivy looks to be a very fine member of his species," he said with a smile, and Vash immediately stopped hissing at the praise.

I looked over, and I swear I saw the little snake gain a proud glint in his eye. Why couldn't I make that happen? "I'm Alder," the man said, introducing himself. "Nice to meet you." He stuck his hand out, and I extended mine, telling him my name as we shook hands. "Are you from Aspertia?"

"I am," I confirmed. "It's nice to meet you, sir," I said, acknowledging his seniority, and previous position as regional Champion. He smiled at that. Shrugging the shoulder my snivy's head was on, I continued, "I just got Vash earlier today."

"Vash, eh?" He looked upon the serpent once more, extending his hand for the snivy's examination. "A pleasure to meet you, young serpent," he said, while Vash lazily flicked his tongue in acknowledgment. Alder returned his attention to me. "Considering you're still new to being a trainer, how would you like some hands on training and experience?" I smiled and nodded at the offer, and he motioned for me to follow him into town. "Let's go. Don't forget to make sure your partners are all in top form, though. The center's just inside town." I nodded in thanks, and walked with him until the aforementioned center was in front of us. "I'll wait outside for you. Don't forget to stock up on healing agents while you wait."

"Thanks," I said, as I turned and walked through the automated doors. I noticed a courier just inside the waiting area, a small box on the table beside his drink. He was cradling a tablet in his lap, spare hand occasionally sliding slightly across the screen. A few other people were in the waiting area as well, but the courier stood out simply because of the distinct uniform.

I walked up to the reception area, and asked for treatment for my pokèmon. I provided my license, and pulled Vash off my shoulders to withdraw him into his pokèball so I could hand him and Sentry over to be checked and treated.

About half an hour later, I was on my way out the door, my wallet considerably lighter and my bag more full to compensate. Sentry was perched on my right shoulder, and Vash hanging over the other, ready to defend me should the patrat prove unruly. So far, she (as I had learned Sentry was female upon receiving her pokèball back in the center) had only lightly nibbled at the strap for my satchel, and a stern no had discouraged continuation of that behavior.

"Got everything taken care of?" Alder asked as I stepped out of the center. I nodded in response. "Let's get going then. I live on the north end of town, and there's plenty of room to stage a couple battles in my front yard. I even have a pitch marked out for it."

I couldn't help but smile at his enthusiasm. The man truly was passionate about pokèmon. When we were nearing the outskirts of town, however, something seemed to click for him, as he turned to me, and questioned, "I noticed that you've been carrying that map for a while. Any reason you're not keeping it in your bag?"

"My friend took off ahead of me without it. I'm carrying it so I don't forget to make sure he gets it," I explained.

"He's the one with the tepig, right?" I nodded in answer. "He's further east on Route 20. Go ahead and finish that up, and I'll get everything ready for when you're done."

"Thanks," I said, moving to head out east once more. Route 20 was a rather tranquil area, and after a couple of short battles (with Sentry watching closely so she could learn and catch up with Vash) I found my catch for the Route. A purrloin pounced out at Sentry, who dodged away and tackled it before retreating so Vash could step in. The cat began growling at Vash, and after a strike from the grass snake, scratched him as he retreated to my side. I fished another pokèball from my bag, and flung it at the dark feline. The ball, like Sentry's, shook violently a few moments before settling, and dimming its light.

I took a few moments to think of a name for the purrloin, knowing that they were generally devious little creatures. "Jun," I said, as I picked up the now inert ball. The type of behavior they generally had reminded me of another character from a show I enjoyed.

Another young trainer challenged me, and Sentry and Jun handily won against each of his pokèmon. Up ahead, I saw that the route further east was being blocked off, by a bulky man standing in the way, and so I decided to head back west, and then north, to the ranch I had noticed when I first walked onto the Route.

The gate was wide open, and I walked in, fully expecting to find Locke somewhere around here. Jun was prowling about before me, and I followed her to another fence that was open just ahead. I saw Locke, and called out, waving him over.

"Finally, you caught up! Here to train your pokèmon a bit?"

"I came here looking for you! What's the rush?" I asked, wondering why he didn't stick around Aspertia any longer than he did.

"You know the answer to that already," he said. "Come on, let's have a battle!" He challenged. Without waiting, he ushered his tepig out onto the field between us. "Let's go, Gan. Show 'em what you've got!"

Jun, being the nearest, immediately started growling at the tepig. Gan charged and tackled her, and she only growled louder, her fur raising on end as well. The tepig backed off, looking unnerved, and I called Jun back to my side. She looked disappointed with not being able to fight, but I was pretty sure she couldn't match Gan. I turned my head to look at Vash, and he was already glaring at me in displeasure. "You're the only one who's going to be any match for Gan," I explained. "You can do this, buddy. He already looks a bit scared by Jun."

That was exactly what almost proved to be Vash's end, as well. The tepig, frightened as he was, rushed violently towards Vash, and tackled him much more roughly than I had expected. I heard something crack, rather loudly. The little snake hissed and writhed in pain. "Vash!" I ran up to his side, kneeling on the ground beside him. "Vash," I whispered, almost panicking. I quickly pulled my satchel from behind me, and pulled out one of the healing accelerants I'd recently picked up. I sprayed its contents all over him, but paid special mind to his ribs.

He quieted quickly...

Thankfully, he also began breathing more deeply, but still looked to be in some pain. "Holy... You're okay, buddy. You're going to be okay," I said, my heart still racing. "Come on, get up. We got a fight to finish. Time to get back at the little pig, right?" I stood

He nodded, looking determined to thrash Gan into next week as he pushed himself back upright, only to be met by another tackle from the tepig, this one not quite as frantic. Vash responded by quickly wriggling out from underneath Gan, darting away, and then doubling back to bowl over the piglet. Gan tried to make himself look harmless and cute, hoping to get Vash to let his guard down, but Vash just lunged and bowled him over again, this time being met with another strike. Both Vash and Gan were looking exhausted by this point, but I knew my snivy was faster. "He can't take much more, Vash. Tackle him again, and finish this fight!"

The end result was much like my first battle with Locke, with Gan collapsed into a heap, and Vash retreating to my side. This time, however, he took it on himself to slither up to perch on my shoulder. I reached up and gently rubbed his head, whispering praise all the while.

"That was an amazing comeback Vash made, I have to say," Locke said. "I'm sorry Gan hit him so hard. Your purrloin must have really scared him to make him panic like that."

"I'm just glad Vash is okay. I was beyond terrified when I heard that crack," I said, still shaking a little from the scare.

"I couldn't believe you kept him in there, when he got hurt that bad. You still had your purrloin and a patrat, too. Why not send one of them in?"

"I knew that neither of them would be able to stand up against Gan. Vash was my only hope to stop that little monster of yours." I turned to watch Sentry looking out over the nearby hill, with Jun preening nearby, occasionally glancing at the rodent with a mischievous gleam in her eye. "Although," I said, as Jun seemed to throw her voice enough to get Sentry looking away from her, "I seem to have a little monster of my own, in Jun." She pounced on Sentry just as I said her name, and I quickly called them both back to me. "Jun, come here, little girl," I said, crouching down to pick her up. She began playing cutely with Vash's tail, much to his displeasure, as I cradled her in my arms. I gently scratched her behind her ears, causing her to purr happily, and curl up as she stopped playing. Vash quickly settled back down, but made sure to hang his tail out of Jun's reach. Sentry, who had scurried up to perch on my shoulder by Vash's head, peeked over to watch Jun, who looked about ready to fall asleep in my arms, now.

"Yeah, a real monster you have there," Locke said sarcastically. "So, why were you looking for me?"

I then remembered that I had a map for him in my hand (I wondered how I hadn't dropped it), and explained that his sister had gotten a couple of maps for us, but he left too soon to get his from her.

"Oh. Thanks for bringing it out to me," he said, reaching to take it from my hand.

"Not a problem."

"Just finish a little battle over there, did you?" Locke and I both turned to face where the question had come from, and saw a man and woman approaching us.

I was nervous after having been caught by surprise, so Locke answered the man's question in the affirmative and introduced us, then to asked, "Who are you?"

"This lovely lady is my wife, and we're the owners of this ranch," the man answered.

"Seeing as you two just finished up a battle, why don't the two of you take these," the woman said, stepping up with a couple of healing agents in hand.

"Thank you, ma'am," I said, as I shifted Jun so I could take the bottle in my left hand. At this point, my mind took a brief detour down nerd lane, and began drawing parallels between the item I had just been given, and healing potions in a few of my favorite videogames. It was at that point that I took to calling them potions. Much faster to say than healing agent/accelerant.

After those parallels were drawn, my mind was snapped back to reality when the man asked, "Have either of you seen a herdier, lately? Ours are always together, but one of 'em just up and ran out of the blue. Nothing like this has ever happened before, so we've been pretty worried."

"We haven't seen one, actually," Locke said, "but we'll help you look."

I nodded in agreement, crouching to set down Jun, before reaching past Vash to grab Sentry as well, also setting her on the ground. Sentry immediately began running further into the ranch, while Jun stretched out on the ground before rolling over to walk alongside me. It was amazing how Sentry seemed to know where I was going all the time, and it made her name all the more fitting.

I headed west, exploring as well as looking for the lost canine, and a young woman, who I assume was the daughter of the owners, challenged me to a battle. I sent Sentry out first against her mareep, but quickly withdrew her when it paralyzed her with a jolt of electricity. Vash went out next, and used the vines he had at his command to beat back the mareep.

After my victory, I headed back to the owners, and asked if they had anything for treating the occasional paralysis that would work over Sentry. "Of course we do," the woman said. "Here, why don't you let us look over all your pokèmon, and get them back in top shape?"

I withdrew all of my pokèmon into their pokèballs, and handed them over. "Thank you, ma'am."

She laughed for a little bit, and said, "They can all be out with us. We can just head over to the shed where we keep all our medicine for our mareep, and get them all fixed up over there. No need to coop them up." She then released all of my pokèmon and handed the pokèballs back to me. "And there's no need to call me ma'am all the time. Just call me Mrs. Fair, if you're so determined to be so polite all the time," she added, as she led the way to the shed with all the medicine.

"Thank you, Mrs. Fair," I said, when we got back by her husband.

"It's no trouble at all. Only the least I can do, since your helping us find Misty." She must have been referring to their missing herdier.

I headed deeper into the ranch once more, this time heading north at a break in the fence instead of further west. I saw Sentry looking intently at a patch of tall grass, and I jumped in surprise as a riolu pounced out, moving fast enough to blur. Sentry was about to chase it and retaliate, but I was wary of any advantage the little jackal might have over her. Instead, I sent out Vash, who hissed at the jackal all the way down to the ground. The little blue canine blurred again towards Vash, but for all its speed, it wasn't able to strike too solidly, and Vash just shrugged it off before lunging out to tackle it. The little jackal braced itself, and Vash tackled it again. It was left panting after all its exertions, and I quickly fished out a pokèball from my satchel.

The next few minutes were filled with me throwing every ball I had until the last one finally came to a rest. I merely stood there for a moment, looking at the broken, empty shells scattered about. "Takeo, you shall be named, for you are truly a warrior," I said, going over to pick up the now inert ball. "Vash, get ready, just in case he still tries to fight after I let him out." He nodded, and coiled slightly, ready to strike.

I released the riolu from the pokèball, and pulled my satchel in front of me so he could see I was getting a potion from it. "I'm going to heal you up, but you'll need to behave." I noted that Takeo was exceptionally calm as I moved up to him. I crouched to look him in the eye more closely, and said, "Thanks for being good, and not making a fuss." Takeo nodded, and closed his eyes in preparation for the medicine spray. I patted him on the shoulder before administering the potion.

Takeo opened his eyes for a moment before starting to bounce slightly in place. He was still very calm, but I could see he had a lot of energy, as well. "You want to run, don't you?" I asked, and he froze for a moment, before nodding. "Just stay where I can see you. Maybe Sentry would like to run with you." His eyes lit up with glee before he took off towards Sentry, and then overtook her. Sentry took off after Takeo, and I noticed Jun lazing in the grass, occasionally flicking her tail to ward off insects.

Vash relaxed and then climbed back atop my shoulders, holding himself close to me. "Takeo! Come on back here for a moment," I called, and the little jackal began running back my way. I moved to go pick up Jun, who immediately began purring as I cradled her. Takeo came to a halt by my side, looking up at me in question. "We're looking for a lost herdier, Takeo. I know you can sense auras, so do you think you could lead the way?"

He closed his eyes in concentration for a moment, then pointed towards where I knew Mr. and Mrs. Fair were. "Sorry, but that's not the one. Is there another you can find at all?" He shook his head, but then started running further into the ranch. "I get it. Good idea, Takeo. Lead the way."

Takeo took off running, Sentry followed after him closely, and I started jogging, taking care not to jar Jun too much in my arms. I felt Vash coil tighter around me once I started moving faster than normal. Takeo, sensing something stronger than normal, suddenly darted west. We eventually found Locke, and while I was slightly disappointed that Takeo hadn't found the herdier we were after, I made sure to tell Takeo, "You're doing your best, boy. Don't give up, I know we'll find that herdier." He gained a look of determination, and nodded resolutely.

Locke noticed me, and came over to all of us. "Hey, I'm going to keep heading out east. There's a path that heads off to the south a bit, why don't you check there?" Gan, who was looking in much better shape than the last time I saw him, was looking just as attentively as Locke had been. Despite having known Locke for a few years, it was right then that it really clicked with me just how much Celeste's purrloin being stolen had hurt him.

"Yeah, I'll go check it out," I called in answer, before turning to Takeo. "Let's head this way," I said to him, pointing south, down the branch in the path. Rather than running to lead the way, the little blue jackal took a more sedate pace, still maintaining a lead to me. Sentry rushed up ahead, but kept well within eyesight, and always made sure we were watching her back..

As we walked, I contemplated how Locke might react to finally finding that lost purrloin. No doubt he'd be excited that he found her, but how would he actually take it? After five years under Plasma, I had doubts about the cat recognizing anyone, or of her even being recognizable herself. Guiltily, I began to wish that Locke wouldn't find her, just so he wouldn't be hurt by how much change was likely to have happened.

Takeo broke me out of my thoughts by nudging on my leg with his forepaw. I looked down and saw the concern in his eyes, and I was genuinely confused for a moment. "What's the matter, Takeo?" I asked, crouching to look him more closely in the eye. He responded by nudging on me with his forepaw again. "Oh," I said, coming to realization. "I hadn't thought about that. Sorry to be such a downer on you." I reached out with my hand that didn't have Jun cradled in it, and ruffled the fur on top of his head. "I'll be okay. I'm just worried about Locke, is all." I pulled my hand back, and let it come to rest on my knee.

The little blue jackal nodded, and rested his forepaw on my hand for a moment before turning around to lead me further into the ranch. "Thanks, buddy," I whispered. I was pretty sure he picked up on how much he had lifted my mood; I swore his eyes looked proud for the rest of the search each time he looked back to me.

Eventually, our path opened to a wide clearing with thick woods and undergrowth cutting off any other exit. I saw the herdier we'd been searching for over the past couple hours, and a man holding a thick branch backing it into a corner. The dog bark a couple times, and I heard Locke calling out for me.

"I've found the herdier, go get Mr. and Mrs. Fair!" I answered, and the man whirled to look at me, cursing under his breath as he noticed all the pokèmon gathered with me.

"They're the owners, right?" Locke asked, which I answered quickly in the affirmative, before he continued, "All right, I'll be right back! Stay where you are!"

"Damn kids," the man said, and I noticed he was wearing a balaclava, likely to try hiding his identity. "Don't you know who you're messing with? I'm with Plasma!" he boldly stated.

"A bunch of thugs and domestic terrorists, right?" I questioned, sorely wishing that my pokèmon were stronger. I looked to them all, and noticed Vash was hissing, eyes narrowed, Jun had wriggled out of my arms, and was growling ferociously, Sentry was leveling a fierce glare, and Takeo was tensing up, as if to brace for a sudden attack.

"Fools. The lot of you. We're trying to liberate pokèmon from the likes of you!" the man said, as he began dashing towards me. "Stay out of our way, and you won't be hurt, kid." He dashed up to me, and Jun and Takeo both tried to take swipes at him, but missed. I was awarded a punch just below my sternum for their efforts. All my breath left me in that moment, and the man carried on running, escaping from the ranch, no doubt.

I collapsed to the ground in pain, struggling to breathe. Vash and Takeo were quickly at my side, with Jun and Sentry joining them moments later. The herdier eventually padded her way over, and sat to wait by the path going into the clearing.

A few minutes later, I was still curled up on the ground, but at least hurting less than before. "Misty!" I heard Mr. Fair call, and the herdier began wagging her tail upon hearing his voice. "What are you doing all the way out here?" he asked, as she bounded down the path to greet him. "And what the hell happened back here?" His voice was much clearer, yet much lower as well.

"Plasma," I groaned out, and Locke's expression looked particularly dark as he came into view.

"Damn." Locke walked over and knelt beside me. "I take it the Plasma goon's the one who hit you, too?" he asked.

I nodded, and gave a weak thank you as Locke and Mr. Fair pulled me to my feet, before Locke looped one of my arms over his shoulders to give me support. Vash slithered up to his normal perch atop my shoulders, but climbed up Locke instead, to avoid hurting me. He nuzzled my neck gently, and Takeo patted my leg with his forepaw; I took that as reassurance that I'd be okay. I was able to reach down and lightly ruffle the fur atop his head in thanks, due to being slightly hunched over yet. Jun refused to stop rubbing up against my leg the entire trip back, and Locke and I nearly tripped a couple times trying not to step on her (demented little witch). Sentry climbed up Locke like Vash had, but perched atop my head, instead, keeping a vigilant watch from her higher vantage point.

By the time we reached the barn, with Locke helping me slide down a few of the ledges he had hopped, I was standing on my own without support again, even though breathing deeply still gave me a twinge of pain.

With many thanks for the care given to my pokèmon and myself, I turned my back on the Fair Ranch, and headed south down Route 20, my whole party walking alongside me, with the exception of Vash being draped over my shoulders. Coming back into the outskirts of town, I saw Alder leaning up against the fence surrounding his pitch, a look of concern directed toward me.

"I'll be fine," I told him. "I'll be back after stopping at the center and restocking." He smiled, nodded, and turned back to head inside, while I continued further south into the town proper.

When I arrived at the center, I noticed the same courier from before, but that he was actively looking through everyone. "Anything I can help you with?" I asked, as he looked down at his tablet again.

He made a quick double-take between me and his tablet, and said, "Kid, you have no idea how long I've been looking for you."

"The majority of the day?" I ventured. Unsurprisingly, I was met with a rather unenthusiastic nod, while he pulled out a clipboard.

"I just need you to sign for this, and then we're both good to go for the day!" After looking over the form, and the box which procured, and finding nothing suspicious about either, I signed, and exchanged the box for the clipboard. I went and took my other team members up to the counter, and took a seat in the waiting area to open the box.

Inside of it was a strange pokèball. All around, it was was much rougher than the other pokèballs I had, and was colored green in spots over a black underlayer. Wondering if anything was inside, I hooked my 'dex up to it. To say that I was shocked by what the display told me would have to have been the understatement of the century. I dropped the ball numbly from my fingers, thankfully the release catch was in place due to it being hooked up to my 'dex.

Deoxys. This ball held Deoxys. I could barely comprehend the idea, yet, provided my 'dex wasn't lying to me, I now had one of the most powerful pokèmon ever discovered. I went through all the data being given to me, and found that, while some of it's abilities should have been completely impossible, it had once been under Plasma's rule, which was the most likely explanation for its impossible abilities. I clipped the ball to my belt when my name was called, and took the rest of my team back. I let out Vash, and picked him up so he could drape himself over my shoulders. I winced slightly, and the grass serpent nuzzled against my neck, making sure I was okay.

About half an hour later, I was back in the northern outskirts of town. I walked past the pitch he had marked out, and knocked on the door. A few seconds later, it opened with a bit of a creak, and the flame-haired former Champion greeted Vash and me with a smile. "Glad you're okay," he said. "Didn't think it would take that long to deliver a map, though."

"Plasma," I gritted, my gut flaring slightly at the memory of the pain.

"Ah, that certainly does explain the extended time." He looked me over a bit, then asked, "So, where's the rest of your team?"

I gestured to my belt, and he nodded in approval that I was spending time with my starter.

"Well, come on in. You came here for training, and training you shall receive." He stood aside, opening his door fully. I stepped inside, and was met with the sight of two students with Unova's elemental monkeys for water and fire beside them. "I trust you know of type advantages..."

* * *

"Thank you for the lesson, Alder," I said, as I walked back to Floccesy town to treat my team and restock on more potions and pokèballs.

About an hour later, I was walking back through the gates of the Fair Ranch, and I had Jun out in the lead. I waved to Mr. and Mrs. Fair when I saw them, and they waved back.

Mrs. Fair had told me that I was welcome to train on the ranch any time, because of the help I gave them with finding their herdier, Misty

Just inside the front gate, another riolu jumped out at us, and Jun hissed and growled at the little jackal for attacking her. She kept growling for a while, and I saw the riolu fidget for a moment. "Get in there and scratch it, Jun!" I called, and my purrloin did just that, catching the riolu across the snout, and the jackal yelped in pain and surprise. Then, it reached out for her, grabbed her around the middle, and viciously slammed her against the ground head first.

The second time that day, I heard something crack. This time, however, Jun lay still, and no sound came forth from her. "Jun..." I said, letting out Sentry without even recognizing what was going on around me. "No, please no, Jun, get up!" She was completely limp when I picked her up and cradled her. I absently began scratching behind her ears, and thought I heard her start purring. Tears were swelling in my eyes. "...I'm sorry, Jun..." I completely broke down and started sobbing right there. Vash nuzzled against me, but I did nothing. I just sat there and cried. I heard Sentry squeak, followed by a terrified, pained yelp, before silence surrounded me. I kept crying, even as the little patrat scurried up to my shoulder to keep a close lookout for me. It was all I could do until it was well past nightfall.

* * *

I don't remember exactly how I got there, but I next remember myself walking into one of the rooms available for overnight stays by trainers, Vash over my right shoulder, Sentry perched on my left, and Takeo leading me by the hand. I almost recoiled when I realized this last part, but the look from him stopped me. The little jackal looked hurt, guilty, and even scared as he glanced back at me. I dropped to my knees as soon as I was in the room, and pulled Takeo into a hug. "It's not your fault, Takeo. I don't blame you," I said, trying to put all of my sincerity behind those words. "It's my fault she died, not yours," I whispered to him, unable to speak any louder.

* * *

My dream was particularly vivid that night. Deoxys, Vash, and Takeo were all with me in a large clearing, with Sentry conspicuously absent. Looking around, I noticed a strange, twisting tree in the center of a small island, and a perfect double of me. Everything matched, except the other me stood with more confidence, and had a full team of six at the ready. A Deoxys, serperior, lucario, magnezone, espeon, and volcarona all standing/hovering proudly behind their trainer.

"I see I've started another journey, and I also feel great loss coming from you," my double said.

"What?" It was all I could manage. Here I was, looking at myself with a full, powerful team ready to go at a moment's notice.

"I suppose introductions are in order," my double said, and began gesturing to each in turn. "Meet Deoxys, who should be rather obvious, Ama the volcarona, Mantis the espeon, Polaris the magnezone, Takeo the lucario, and-"

"Vash, the serperior?" I questioned, cutting me off.

"We really are the same," the other said. "I presume you're wondering exactly why you had a Deoxys delivered to you, today?" I nodded. "I was able to make arrangements for him to be sent to you. Trust me, it wasn't easy, but I believe you'll find him to be well worth keeping around."

"He's way past my league!" I shouted. "There's no possible way I'll be able to train him!" My mind then skipped a beat as I processed what my double had said. "Wait. _**A**_ Deoxys? There's more than one?"

The other smiled. "Of course there's more than one Deoxys. We both have one, now, but I suppose that's not necessarily proof enough. A little known fact about Deoxys is that each one has its other, much like you and I, it seems. And I don't expect you to be able to tame him, not this early on my new journey, of course, and I dearly hope you don't have to utilize his power for a long time to come, if ever at all."

"What do you mean, _your_ new journey? I'm the one who's taking the steps, here. I'm the one who already lost..." I trailed off, ashamed of myself for failing Jun.

"Oh, my, one of _those_ journeys, it seems." The other's tone caught my attention, and I rounded (on me?) almost immediately.

"What the hell do you mean, 'one of _those_ journeys?'" I growled, anger rising and threatening to boil over.

"What I mean is that your journey to the championship will undoubtedly be much more difficult than mine, and dare I say it may unhinge you, should you fail."

"Enough talking in circles. What the hell is going on?" I demanded, the lid being lifted ever so slightly.

"I never had the misfortune of facing death, should I have ever lost any battle. If any of your partners lose in battle, they will die, instead of fainting, like mine would." The other seemed to mull it over for a few seconds, before adding, "Although, I daresay you have a much greater benefit in this than I ever did."

"What the hell kind of benefits could come from a curse like this?!"

"Not a curse, mind you," the other said, infuriatingly calm. "I believe it is instead something else working against you. Something that will force those deaths to occur, rather than merely passing out. However, I believe the benefit is how close you're already growing to those around you. If you're anything like me, you'll need that." At this, my double vanished.

Vash and Takeo finally began moving, as did Deoxys, as well. Deoxys came closer to me, keeping a watchful eye on everything around us, while Vash slithered up to his favorite spot and began nuzzling my neck. Takeo stood at my side, and pawed at my leg. I crouched-

And started blinking away fresh tears as he hugged me. So long as I had Takeo and Vash with me, I knew, somehow, that I'd be okay.

* * *

**A/N:2: Don't worry, my little monsters should start actually talking soon enough. And they will be given much more character as well.  
**

**Jun's death really did hit me hard. Reminded me of my actual cat dying, practically in my arms, a few years ago. I was barely functioning, mentally, the whole day, and our other cat, her sister, actually started acting a bit like her after a while.**

**I did use an event to get Deoxys, yes. And I did spin it into something that may have a stupidly large impact later on. I don't know yet, we'll have to see.**


End file.
